


Heart of Clay

by persimonne



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Golems, Magic, Nonverbal Communication, Nudity, Secret Relationship, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-30 19:11:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17229605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persimonne/pseuds/persimonne
Summary: Rey discovers a very interesting recipe in one of the tomes she's stolen from Luke. While she experiments, Kylo Ren disappears mysteriously.





	Heart of Clay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [starlightreader](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightreader/gifts).



> Dear starlightreader, I loved your third prompt and I've decided to experiment with golems.  
> This fic is very loosely inspired by the legend of the Golem of Prague.  
> I have to thank Misscoppelia and Leoba for helping me with the beta reading.

 

Rey wakes up, eyes hit by an insistent ray of light from the threadbare curtain, her head pounding. Since the battle on Crait she hasn’t been sleeping well, too cold at night, too many thoughts distracting her, coupled with a persistent feeling of emptiness. She gets up, eats a couple of dark berries, chugs a glass of water down and starts reading the Jedi texts again, hoping that no one will disturb her. She still has to repair Luke’s old saber, broken in two pieces after her last confrontation with Kylo Ren, that fateful night on the Supremacy. 

 

The few surviving Resistance members are hiding on Birren, a small Inner Rim planet now  home to the Alderaanians that were lucky enough to survive their homeworld’s destruction. Some of Leia’s old family friends are hosting them in an abandoned pottery factory. Leia insisted on a separate space for Rey, so she can study the Sacred texts and practice her skills with the Force undisturbed. 

 

She sits on one of the clay crates in a corner of her new room, a small storage space detached from the main building, where her friends are still sleeping. After the rough night she’s just had, she wonders if Kylo has trouble sleeping as well. She can still detect his presence in the Force, but without their bond, she can’t know exactly what he’s up to.

 

“Here I am, still thinking about him,” she mutters under her breath. 

 

The Supreme Leader manages to worm his way into her thoughts every day, even though their connection through the Force has never opened again after Snoke’s death. She has no idea what he’s doing or his whereabouts now that they aren’t linked anymore, and sometimes she can’t help worrying about him. But admitting to herself that she misses him is harder that it seems.

 

She opens one of the texts she had stolen from Luke on Ahch-To, hoping that beginning a new book will help her concentrate more. There are many abstract concepts she’s not familiar with in the other tomes she’s tried to read, but without the chance to ask anyone trained in the ways of the Force, those books are useless. Luckily, this new one seems more technical than philosophical. She avidly consults its index and it looks like there are actual instructions there, to build weapons and objects that can work through the Force.

 

“Lightsabers… finally!” she exclaims, but before she can get on her feet to retrieve the satchel containing the broken pieces of her saber, her eyes catch a mysterious word she’s heard before, on Jakku. 

 

“Golems…”

 

There was a legend, on Jakku, about certain droids composed of junk, able to obey their creator’s orders, but she’s never been sure if such beings really existed, or they were just a legend among scavengers. She jumps to the relevant chapter, curious to discover if there are instructions to build rubbish golems, since the Resistance could use any help available. But the only three ingredients listed for bringing such creatures to life are water, clay and a kyber crystal.

 

“Oh,” she squeaks, looking at the crates stashed in her little room. 

 

They are full of clay, and water is abundant on the small planet where they’re currently dwelling. She has a readily available crystal too, from the broken saber. She could try to build a mud golem and instruct  it to fight the First Order. Having an army of clay puppets to sacrifice instead of human lives could make the difference for her friends, so she puts her lightsaber project aside, deciding instead to learn how to prepare the golem.

 

The recipe is quite simple. It requires that one form a human-sized figure on the ground, then walk in a circle around it seven times, reciting specific features, qualities and characteristics needed for the golem. Rey retrieves water from a nearby creek, burrowing herself in her little room to mix the ingredients. She’s always been good at making things with her hands, so the process of forming her clay warrior is quick, even if it’s messy: after finishing, she’s covered in viscous mud from head to toe, her dark grey clothes now stained with light speckles.

 

The figure on the pavement of her room is imposing, two metres tall, its legs long and refined, its chest wide. She begins walking in circles around it, slowly, measuring her steps and letting the Force flow through her whole body.

 

“I would like my warrior to be… strong,” she begins reciting, concluding the first circle, her gaze fixed in front of her. 

 

“Cunning,” she adds, even if it’s not the first adjective that comes to her mind while thinking about the giant doll on the ground. 

 

“Skilled,” she adds again, her thoughts swayed by the image of Kylo Ren fighting her on Starkiller Base. 

 

“Compassionate,” she continues, “brave, faithful and loving,” she concludes, her memories of the Supreme Leader now stronger than ever.

 

The creature is now glowing red, and she only has to take the final step to complete the ritual: her trembling hand fishes the blue kyber crystal salvaged from the cracked saber from her satchel. She blows on the gem, and the first name that comes to her mind is, again, his.

 

“Then, your name will be Ben,” she declares, pushing the crystal past the golem’s clay lips, marveling at its warm temperature, similar to a human’s real body. 

 

A blinding light surrounds them, forcing her to cover her eyes, and when she finally looks at her creature she can’t help gasping out loud. On the pavement lies a perfect clay-replica of Ben Solo, his hard features unmistakable even if etched in mud. He’s naked, lying supine, his powerful body on full display for her, and she feels the need to look away, concentrating on his familiar face. 

 

His eyes are closed, and she barely refrains from touching his high cheekbones or the jut of his nose. She hadn’t intended to build an exact replica of the man she still can’t admit she misses so much, but it has happened somehow, maybe because the Force was involved. 

 

And yet, it seems that something hasn’t worked, since his eyes remain closed. She’s followed the instructions to the letter, and the golem should be active by now. Worried, she retrieves the book, reading the recipe again and again: mud doll, seven circles around it, red light, kyber crystal, white light. She’s done everything, but he’s still silent and dead.

 

Maybe she forgot something, but what? She looks again at the peaceful face, thinking intensely about Ben. What did she miss? A feature that he’s acquired only lately, maybe? She finally touches his cheek, the mud still a little damp but pleasantly warm under her fingertips, and an idea pops into her mind. With her nail, she etches into his brow, descending from his cheek, to his neck and his shoulder, creating a perfect replica of the scar she gave him during their battle in the woods.

 

Finally, an eye opens, the clay crinkling slightly around it, soon followed by its twin, and the wide chest of the creature moves, inhaling the cool air of the room for the first time. Almost frightened, Rey jumps on her feet, hiding behind an empty crate while the golem awakens, carefully detaching its back from the dusty floor. It moves slowly, stretching its stiff limbs and sitting on the floor, looking around the small room, without emitting the slightest sound. 

 

Does it know how to speak? Rey isn’t sure about that, the instructions only spoke of obeying orders, but she would prefer the ability to have a conversation with it, instead of simply commanding its actions, like she would with a real puppet.

 

“Ben!” she calls, and it turns its head in her direction: at least it can hear her.

 

She slowly comes out from her corner, walking towards it, her arm extended.

 

“My name is Rey,” she announces, pronouncing every word in a careful way, as if it was an alien that never heard anyone speak Basic before.

 

The golem looks at her, then nods. It opens its mouth, but nothing comes out, so it points to the middle of its chest, where its heart would be if it were a real person, then it extends a hand towards her. Rey jolts, the gesture strangely familiar. The creature’s name is Ben, it looks like Ben and, apparently, it moves like Ben too. 

 

Unlike that night, in Snoke’s throne room, she closes the distance between them, accepting the golem’s hand out of curiosity. It’s warm and dry, its outer layer smooth and pleasant to the touch, so big that her own hand gets easily dwarfed. Lifting her gaze, she’s surprised to find a pair of inquisitive eyes looking at her, and she’s even more surprised when the creature puts her hand over its chest, splaying her fingers over its clay muscles.

 

Of course, there is no heartbeat to detect, but the golem smiles at her nonetheless, caressing her hand. 

 

“Rey, are you awake?” Finn’s voice calls her from outside, interrupting whatever is happening between them.

 

“Quick, hide behind the crates, and don’t come outside for any reason!” she commands, and Ben obeys, leaving her hand and crouching in a corner.

 

“I’m awake, Finn, come in.”

 

“What happened?” he asks, eyeing her mud-covered clothes and skin.

 

“Oh! I got frustrated with my lightsaber, and I tried to keep my hands otherwise occupied.” She smiles uneasily at her friend.

 

“Well, you better clean up, the General asked for you. She didn’t look well, honestly, and I’m a bit worried,” continues Finn. “You should go soon. I would accompany you, but Rose needs me right now. See you later?”

 

“See you later,” nodded Rey, her gaze downcast.

  
  


***

  
  


Leia greets her with a warm hug. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

 

Rey nods, noticing that the General seems more tired than usual, her already pale face sporting an unhealthy ashen colour.

 

“Did you feel it?” Leia asks, catching Rey by surprise.

 

“Feel what?”

 

“My son’s Force signature… it dimmed this morning. I’m worried Rey, something happened to him.” The beautiful, strong General starts crying, and seeing her like that almost breaks Rey’s heart.

 

She takes a moment to concentrate, looking for Kylo Ren’s presence in the Force, but his mother is right: she can’t feel him anymore.

 

“I’ll  ask Poe to send a spy, it’s the only way to discover what’s happened to Ben,” continues Leia, and Rey can only nod, barely keeping from crying.

  
  


***

  
  


She enters her room, the golem coming out from its hideout.

 

“Hey,” she greets it, trying to smile, and the creature looms over her, catching one of her tears with a finger. It observes carefully the droplet perched on its fingertip, then it tries to brings the tear to its mouth. But the clay of its hand absorbs the moisture before it can taste it, and Rey, seeing its disappointed expression, starts crying again.

 

Almost frantic, the golem turns around, tearing a piece of the heavy, brown flimsi that covers the crates, and brings it to the table. Before Rey can stop it, it crushes the black berries she likes to eat at breakfast in their pot, bringing its fingers, now stained with dark juice, above the paper, tracing three letters:

 

_ W H Y _

 

“Oh!” she exclaims, “Why what? Why I’m crying?”

 

The golem nods, its expressive eyes betraying its worry.

 

“There is this person… I shouldn’t, but I care about him,” she explains. “I’ve been alone for my whole life, and then this person came, and I wasn’t alone anymore. But now something happened to him…” Tears keep flowing again. “I’m alone again, Ben.”

 

It tries to write again on the paper, but the clay has already absorbed the berry juice, so it looks for something on the ground. Emerging victorious with a twig, it uses it to write other two letters, its handwriting less clumsy this time.

 

_ NO _

 

And then,  _ you’re not alone. _

 

Rey takes the flimsi in her hand, and nods. The golem can talk, and understands what is happening around it. Not it,  _ he _ . She almost feels guilty for having thought about him as an object, so far.

 

“Thank you,” she tells him, and she soon finds herself enveloped in his strong arms.

 

She finally smiles again.

  
  


***

  
  


During the following days, Leia receives a message from Poe’s spy, a young man used to infiltrate the First Order from time to time. Apparently, her son is nowhere to be seen, and Hux has taken his place as Supreme Leader, but rumors say that Kylo Ren is lying unconscious in a hospital bed, having mysteriously fallen into a deep coma. Since the spy hasn’t seen her son in person, Leia decides that the rumors are just rumors, but shares her knowledge with Rey nonetheless.  Rey is deeply disquieted upon hearing the news, and she burrows herself in her rooms, trying to keep her mind and her hands busy.

 

She spends almost all her spare time with the golem. Everything seems quite new for him, it’s almost like he’s a visitor from another Galaxy, and she deeply enjoys his presence, his curiosity and his incessant questions about her current and past life. He’s surprisingly intelligent and sensitive, and he helps her feel less alone, since every Resistance member is too occupied to keep her company. 

 

Her friend Finn is helping Rose recover from her injuries, and Rey feels a bit like a third wheel with them, even if they’re always more than welcoming towards her. But she understands that something precious and important is blooming between her friends, so she uses her studies as an excuse and holes up in her room again. But this time she’s not alone anymore: Ben is with her.

 

He writes a lot of short messages for her, covering almost every piece of flimsi he’s torn away from the crates, and he’s gone through quite a few twigs, his huge fingers easily breaking them in half, causing him incessant frustration. But he never lashes out in front of her, simply taking another twig from the stash she’s put together during her time passed in the woods. They’re lucky the black berries she loves so much are native to Birren, so she can have her breakfast, and he can have as much ink as he wants since he doesn’t need to eat. 

 

One morning, being careful to remain unseen, he accompanies her to a stroll in the nearby woods, to look for more berries, and maybe some feathers to write more easily. One of the things that she noticed the most about him is the fact that he constantly seeks physical contact with her. He always takes her hand when they need to walk together somewhere, or he puts one of his palms on the small of her back. Taken aback by all the touches she’s never been used to, she quickly becomes addicted to his touch, taking his hand first, or hugging him as often as possible. 

 

Their promenade gets soon interrupted by a feeble cry of help: a small bird is lying on the ground, fallen from a tree. Ben, unprompted by Rey, leaves her hand and carefully scoops the bird up, positioning it in its nest between the branches. This behaviour almost clashes with what she was expecting from the golem, since she’s inevitably associated him with Kylo Ren. Shaking her head, she reprimands herself for thinking so badly of him: she doesn’t really know Ben Solo, after all, having lost the possibility of interacting with him through their bond.

 

Ben the Golem returns from the tree with a long, shiny feather. At home, Rey cuts its tip in the proper way to permit him to use it to write, since the twigs he’s using don’t last long. They crush together some more berries to make new ink, staining their hands and Rey’s clothes in the process, her cheeks hurting for laughing too much. She stores it in a small glass bottle she’s salvaged from the kitchens, and to allow him to bring his makeshift writing kit everywhere, she sews him a small pouch using some old rags she’s found in the main building.

 

They keep talking in this strange way, spoken words against written ones, and he surprises her, helping her reading and interpreting some of the the Sacred Texts. Sometimes she can’t help thinking that it’s almost like having the real Ben Solo with her, since the golem seems strangely knowledgeable about a whole array of topics, from the history to the Force, including Jedi and Sith lore, to repairing a broken lightsaber. But she’s used the only crystal in her possession to awaken the golem, so she can’t do both, and she puts off rebuilding the lightsaber in order to spend time with her new friend. 

 

If only she could've had him on Jakku! Their interactions are quite slow, but he goes head over heels to communicate with her, making her smile. For the most part, he obeys her commands, but sometimes his personality prevents him from blindly following her orders, especially when Rey tells him in jest that he’s not allowed to hug her anymore. He crumples the sheet he’s been using to write, looking at her with wounded eyes, but doesn’t touch her without her permission.

 

“I was joking, Ben,” she reassures him, and he’s upon her in a matter of seconds, lifting her in the air and making her whole body spin. She laughs, her arms linked behind his neck.

 

_ That was cruel _ , he writes, after putting her down.

 

“I’m sorry! I won’t do it anymore,” she promises.

 

_ You better not. _

 

And she laughs again.

  
  


***

  
  


During a particularly cold evening, she can’t stop trembling, since her blanket is threadbare and her room is detached from the main building, without any heating source on its own. Ben rises from his place in the corner to write something, and she finds a small piece of flimsi on her cushion.

 

_ Hug? _

 

She nods, making space for him on the small bed, and he almost manages to occupy the whole mattress, leaving only a tiny slice for her. But she’s used to sleeping in cramped spaces, so she curls against his warm body, basking in his embrace.  With him at her side, her life on Jakku would have been easier indeed, in particular during the freezing nights typical of desert planets. She somehow managed to create a completely selfless being while thinking about one of the most hated persons of the whole Galaxy.

 

The following day she asks for a new blanket, huge and warm like Ben, but she lacks the courage to chase him away, so he remains in her bed. Her back to his chest and his big arms around her body, she finally sleeps for the whole night, waking up without any migraine. Turning in his direction, she observes his face. His eyes are closed, but she doesn’t know if he really sleeps or not. She caresses the scar she gave him with her nail, tracing its groove with her fingertip, but her attention is soon caught on his full lips. 

 

It’s extraordinary how much Ben the Golem resembles Ben Solo, and she can’t help thinking about waking up with the real Ben at her side, instead of this clay replica she’s accidentally created. She touches his bottom lip, pursed in a light pout, with her fingertips, wondering if there is something wrong with her, since she’s finding his mouth warm and inviting. She can’t help thinking about Ben Solo and, impulsive being that she is, she closes her eyes and her lips touch lightly the golem’s, wishing that the other Ben could be with her instead of his double. He doesn’t move, and she turns around, not noticing his heart, now beating slowly under the layer of clay.

  
  


***

  
  


Poe’s spy joins the Resistance the following day. He’s a young man named Kazuda and he brings interesting news, permitting both Leia and Rey to hope for the better: Kylo Ren has indeed been in an inexplicable coma for a few days and surrounded by some invisible shield, preventing anyone from hurting him while unconscious. Hux had actively tried to eliminate him more than once without succeeding, and when the General tried to shoot the Supreme Leader’s body into the void, Kylo Ren had disappeared without a trace. 

 

Kazuda managed to retrieve Kylo’s crossguard lightsaber before leaving a tracker on the First Order flagship and returning undetected to Birren. And when he gives it to Leia, she promptly tells the boy to give it to Rey instead, since she may need it for her training.

 

Rey can’t wait to show her newly acquired lightsaber to Ben, and she runs home, finding him waiting for her on the bed, scribbling on new flimsi sheets she’s salvaged from the main building. 

 

“Ben, look! It’s a little big for me, but it’s not broken in half at least,” she says, igniting the red lightsaber. 

 

The golem’s eyes get caught by the fiery blade, and he swiftly writes a message with his quill:  _ that’s mine. _

 

“That’s… the other Ben’s,” she replies, her tone a bit patronizing.

 

_ I am Ben. _

 

“Sure, you are.” She turns the lightsaber off, hanging it to her belt.

 

He hugs her, as usual, with his whole body, and she loses herself in his affections. Her ear on his chest, she still doesn’t notice the beating, human heart underneath the clay.

  
  


***

  
  


The new Supreme Leader is ruthless, and is intent on destroying the Resistance. A new holo with Hux’s red, overwrought face is now circulating the whole Galaxy, and Leia’s heart breaks knowing that, apparently, her son has always been aware of their current hideout, but he never revealed its location to any one of his underlings. The secret is now gone with his body, and Hux can only turn his private quarters upside down while looking for the tiniest clue about where Leia is hiding. At the moment, they’re safe, thanks to Kylo Ren’s mysterious disappearance.

 

Rey, clever creature that she is, has an idea to resolve the situation once for all, but she’s hesitant to share her thoughts with the General. Since Finn is a good strategist, and a way more level-headed person than Poe, she decides to talk with him and Rose about her plan before proposing it to the upper echelons. Since Rose can now walk on her own, she brings both her friends to her room, to let them finally see the golem she created.

 

“Sit down, please,” she asks them, indicating her empty bed. “I have to ask you to keep what you’re going to see now to yourselves.”

 

Both her friends nod, and she orders Ben to come out from behind a corner full of crates. If it wasn’t for the seriousness of the situation, the scene in front of her would be almost comic. If she could take a holo of her friends’ faces, she would do it in a heartbeat: Rose is covering her gaping mouth with both hands, while Finn’s expressive eyebrows are trying to disappear into his hairline.

 

“This is Ben,” begins Rey. “He– he’s a golem. I created him with water, clay, a kyber crystal and… the Force? He’s stronger than a human, he can fight, and he’s great at following directions. Mostly.”

 

Finn massages his temples. “Why does it looks like Kylo Ren?” he asks, his eyes closed.

 

“It was totally accidental, I swear,” she answers, not ready to talk about her Force bond with anyone.

 

“Kylo Ren looks like that? Really?” asks Rose, almost surprised. “Damn, pity he’s disappeared!”

 

Finn groans, and Rey can’t help but laugh, Ben’s fingers intertwining with hers.

 

“So, I was thinking about creating other golems to attack Hux. They don’t know where we are, but thanks to Kazuda we’re constantly updated about their current location,” begins Rey. “We could increase our numbers using only water and clay, it’s a quick and inexpensive process.”

 

“Didn’t you say that you used a kyber crystal too?” interrupts Rose.

 

“I did. We have Kylo Ren’s lightsaber, I could take its crystal out and break it into smaller pieces, it’s already cracked,” she explains. “What do you think, Ben?” she asks the golem.

 

He looks at her, then extracts his makeshift writing set from its pouch, scribbling a quick answer to her question:  _ do it _ .

 

“Would that single gem be enough?” asks Finn. “I know that the First Order used to harvest those crystals on a planet situated in the Unknown Regions. If I remember correctly, its name was Ilum.”

 

“Yeah, that’s mentioned in one of my books. If you’re up for a trip, we could take the Falcon, and see if those bastards left some crystal behind for us… Are you in?”

  
  


***

  
  


Rey is proud of the small crew she’s managed to put together for the mission to Ilum. During their travel, she’s finally gotten to know Rose a little more, and she can’t help but like her a lot. She’s the first female friend Rey has, and the thought makes her a little giddy. She also seems the perfect person for Finn, and it makes her heart skip a bit; her mind goes straight to Ben Solo, and how much she misses him, and, if not for Ben the Golem, she would feel even more alone in front of her friends’ burgeoning love.

 

Ben, instead, seems to experience a very long moment of shyness, avoiding conversation for the whole journey.  He keeps his looming presence in the background of the cockpit, as to avoid getting in their way. Rey is almost sure that he joined the mission only to protect her. He’s written her a message, before their departure, saying:  _ I’m not sure you’ll find anything on Ilum _ , but she insisted on trying nonetheless.

 

Landing on the planet is quite difficult, since its surface is overrun by a perennial snow storm, but, through the Force, Rey manages to locate the entry to the caves described in the Sacred Texts. Finn insists on staying on the Falcon with Rose, so Rey dons a heavy jacket, while Ben remains unclothed, since he doesn’t suffer any kind of weather.  He walks at her side, taking her hand as usual. They didn’t talk before landing, but he’s expressed his support with small touches during their journey.

 

They enter a huge stone arch leading to the main cave, and Rey closes her eyes, concentrating and looking for the slightest trace of crystals within the bowels of the planet. Ben waits beside her, his worried gaze following her movements. After a few minutes, Rey exhales, opening her eyes again. She shakes her head, and Ben caresses her shoulders.  They look for another cave, walking under the storm, the golem’s huge body protecting her from the snow and the biting wind, his strong arm preventing her from slipping and falling on the ice.

 

The second cave they visit is empty as well. The third one is the same, and every other cave after that.  They return on the Falcon hand in hand, defeated.

 

After Rey delivers the bad news to Finn and Rose, Ben takes her hand again, bringing her to the private quarters on the ship.  She’s tired, and he manages to take her drenched clothes off, helping her on the bunk and covering her shivering form with heavy blankets. He slides behind her, helping her body temperature to rise again after all the hours outside. She falls asleep quickly, as usual when he’s with her. Finn and Rose are taking care of the return to Birren, and she can rest without further concerns.

 

She awakes hours later, finally rested after the botched mission. Ben gets on his feet, letting her use the toilet, and when she comes back he helps her don some dry, comfortable clothes. Sitting on the bunk, he then  takes his writing kit out of its pouch, quickly scribbling a message:  _ you can take mine _ .

 

“I can take your what?” He doesn’t write anything, but instead points to his mouth.

 

“N–no Ben, I could never take your crystal!”

 

_ You need it more than me _ . 

 

“No! That’s out of the question! You’re a golem, you shouldn’t be able to decide for yourself. I will not use your crystal, we’ll look for other solutions.”

 

Ben takes her hand, bringing it over his heart. Upon feeling its heartbeat, Rey jolts.

 

“What does this mean?

 

_ I‘m a person _ , he writes in a wobbly way, using his only free hand.  _ I want to help _ . 

 

He seems unmovable in his decision, and Rey starts crying, helpless. He dries her tears with his thumbs, kissing her forehead with his dry lips.

 

_ We’ll see each other again. I promise. _

 

“I’ll miss you so much,” she sobs. “Thank you for making me feel less alone.”

 

Instead of replying with written words, he lifts her chin, and presses his lips to hers. She pushes back, her tongue parting his mouth, meeting the blue crystal nestled there.

 

“Thank you,” she breathes against him. “I love you.” 

 

Ben looks at her, and a blinding, white light begins to seep from his scar. Rey hugs him tighter while his outer layer begins to crumble. Surrounded by light, the golem’s body is now full of cracks, and she burrows her face in his chest, sobbing again.

 

A flesh hand caresses her head, and she opens her eyes again. She knows that hand. She’s seen it before on Ahch-To, in front of a fire, and she takes it between hers, kissing its palm. Ben is with her, the real Ben, his old clay layer now fallen to pieces at their feet.

 

“Ben? How is that possible?”

 

“I’m here Rey,” he murmurs against her hair, squeezing her against him. “I’ve been inside the clay for the whole time, you saved me by taking me away from the First Order.”

 

She kisses his other hand too, finding the kyber sheltered in his palm. He lifts her chin, closing the distance between them, their lips clashing, their tongues finally touching this time, both losing themselves in each other’s warmth.

  
  


***

  
  


“Is he still naked?” huffs Finn, and Rose puts her head outside the corridor.

 

“He is.”

 

“What are they doing?”

 

“Cuddling, crying, whispering sweet nothings I guess, pick one.” She winks at him, but his eyes remain glued on the Falcon’s console.

 

“No, thanks,” he replies. “I just wanted to tell them that we’re already in hyperspace, and we’ll return to Birren in a couple of standard days. They have all the time in the Galaxy.”

 

“Isn’t this romantic? They’re so cute.”

 

“Rey is cute, Kylo Ren not so much.”

 

“You’re right, he’s positively hot.”

 

“Rose!” he groans.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
